Hydraulic mechanical warp beam control for textile machines



Dec. 7, 1965 R. e. BASSIST HYDRAULIC MECHANICAL WARP BEAM CONTROL FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Filed NOV. 24, 1961 United States Patent 3,221,518 HYDRAULIC MECHANICAL WARP BEAM CON. TROL FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Rudolph G. Bassist, New York, N.Y. (3660 Waldo Ave, Riverdale, Bronx, N.Y.) Filed Nov. 24, 1961, Ser. No. 154,546 3 Claims. (Cl. 66-86) This invention relates broadly to a method and system for controlling the operation of textile producing machines similar to that disclosed in applicants Patents No. 2,- 303,903 issued December 1, 1942, No. 2,334,058 issued November 9, 1943, No. 2,361,526 issued October 31, 1944, and No. 2,529,241 issued November 7, 1950.

The present method and system involve an improved arrangement of a fluid pump-motor combination responsive to pattern variations and a mechanical speed change device responsive to variations in beam diameter, which constitutes a marked improvement over those disclosed in the aforesaid patents, and likewise pertains to the mode of correlating and governing in textile machines the yarn supply to the demand for yarn by the textile producing instrumentalities of such machine, and further pertains to the predetermined, successive timing of the operation of the yarn control arrangement for textile machines.

As applied to warp-knitting machines, the present method is designed to correlate and govern the supply of yarn from one or more warp beams to the knitting instrumentalities, the latter including a bank of knitting needles and a pattern-controlling device so that the supply of yarn is continuously kept in balance with the demand for the yarn by the knitting instrumentalities.

In FIG. 1 of Patent No. 2,529,241 the variable-output fluid motor 19 responds to changes in beam diameter as the yarn is withdrawn from the beam.

The angle of displacement is generally limited in a hydraulic motor and to not less than 7 /2 nor more than 30, thereby permitting a displacement ratio of 4 to 1.

To overcome the shortcomings of the variable-output fluid motor and still retain the benefits of a variable-output fluid pump, an improved arrangement has been devised which consists of a fluid pump fluid-motor combination responsive to pattern variations, and a mechanical speed change device responsive to variations in beam diameter. This specific arrangement of elements is different from anything that has previously been used or patented. This arrangement theoretically imposes no limitation upon beam diameter.

One way of achieving the foregoing objects and advantages, and such other objects and advantages as may hereinafter be pointed out, is illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical illustration of the present system.

The main driving shaft or cam shaft 51 of the machine is driven by a motor or other suitable motive power 52 in well known fashion. It carries such cams and other driving elements as may be required to transmit the predetermined driving impetus to the various elements of the machine. One of these is the beveled gear 8 on drive shaft 7. Among the other elements which it actuates is a suitable pattern control which I have chosen to illustrate in the form of a pattern chain driven by wheel 1 which is continuously rotated. The periphery of the pattern chain is provided with a predetermined series of raised and depressed portions 2 which serve to impart movements to the lever 3. This lever actuates the adjustable control shaft 5 of the fluid pump 4. The fluidpump 4 including the adjustable control is exemplified by the control shaft 5, is Well known per se and has there- 3,221,513 Patented Dec. 7, 1965 fore not been illustrated in detail. The driving effect of the fluid output is influenced in part by the speed of the driving shaft 7 and in part by the angularity of the cylinder block 6 to the shaft 7.

For example, if the axes are brought into alignment, the driving effect is diminished to zero, and as the angle is increased (within the mechanical limits afforded by the construction), the driving effect is correspondingly increased.

As is known, variable-output fluid pumps are devices for converting mechanical energy into hydraulic energy. Hydraulic motors perform the opposite function by converting hydraulic energy into mechanical energy. In industrial hydraulic circuits, both pump and motor are normally combined with suitable valving and piping to form a hydraulic power transmission. The pump which is mechanically linked to the prime mover, draws fluid from the reservoir and forces it to the motor. The motor which is mechanically linked to the work load, is actuated by this flow so that motion or torque or both are conveyed to the work load.

The reservoir can be included in the hydraulic power transmission circuit in the manner shown in my Patent No. 2,529,241.

In a hydraulic power transmission the hydraulic motor can be either a fixed displacement or a variable displacement. In the present invention either type can be used.

I have chosen in my drawings a variable displacement piston type hydraulic motor to show the versatility of the invention. But it will be understood that the hydraulic motor can also be of the fixed displacement type.

The adjustable control shaft 10 of the fluid motor 9 can have various actuating controls. Available for this purpose are stem, handwheel, cylinder, pressure compensator, servo and electric controls. These controls regulate the output torque and shaft speed within a given range. I have illustratively shown an electric solenoid control 12 to be energized by switch 11.

If a warp knitting machine is in operation, the warptension is looser during running conditions, and when the machine starts the warp tension is tighter; to correct this condition switch 11 is actuated by the electric stopping circuit of the machine.

The movement of solenoid plunger 13 is transmitted through pivot 14 to stem 15, then through pivot 16 to lever 17 and control shaft 10, to release more yarn for the starting of the machine. With the adjusting screw 18 and stop 19 and spring 20 the amount of warp yarn release can be regulated.

Shaft 21 connects the output of the hydraulic device with the mechanical speed change device 22. The latter consists of two conical elements 23, 24 in frictional engagement with the steel ring 25, shiftable on worm spindle 26 by means of guide bracket 27. The position of the steel ring 25 determines the speed of the beam 28.

It i understood that the mechanical speed change device is not necessarily limited to the type illustrated herein, since any suitable mechanical speed change device can be applied.

Shaft 29 carries worm 30 which drives wheel 31 and the latter drives beam 28 in this diagrammatic representation.

In frictional engagement with warp beam 28 there is a roller structure 32 rotatably lodged in a supporting arm 33, pivoted at 35. Roller 32 is connected by chains 34 and 36 to beveled gears 37, 38 which transmit the actual peripheral beam speed to the differential. The other differential input is furnished by worm 4-2 on shaft 21, through worm wheel 43, chain 44, and beveled gear 39, 40.

Since the internal parts of the motive portion of such a differential mechanism are well-known, I have deemed it suflicient merely to indicate two input driving gears 38 and 40 and a single output shaft with pulley 45.

If the speeds of the two input shafts are in balance, the pulley 45 will not turn; but if the input speed of 38 and 40 are not the same, the pulley 45 will move the bracket 27 in plus or minus speed direction through the belt 45, beveled gears 46, 47, pulley 48, belt 49, pulley 50, and spindle 26; consequently the steel ring 25 will shift accordingly to regulate the speed of the warp beam.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a textile machine such as a warp knitting machine in which there is a warp beam, a source of driving power, a pattern control, and a driving. transmission between said driving source and the warp beam: the improvement which resides in (a) interposing in said transmission, in series, a variable hydraulic speed change unit and a variable mechanical speed change unit, and

(b) providing a means responsive to the pattern control for varying the output of the hydraulic speed change unit, and a means responsive tov the diminishing diameter of the warp beam for varying the output of the mechanical speed change unit.

2. The combination of elements defined in claim 1, wherein the hydraulic unit comprises a variable-output fluid pump and a fluid motor driven thereby, the pump output being the variable factor affected by said pattern control.

3. The combination of elements defined in claim 2, wherein the fluid motor is also variable, and independently so, to alter the output of the unit.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,303,903 12/1942 Bassist 6686 2,416,933 3/1947 Lynam et al. 66154 2,529,241 11/ 1950 Bassist 6686 2,654,236 10/1953 Clentimack 6686 2,720,093 10/1955 Lambach et al. 6686 FOREIGN. PATENTS 624,642 1/ 1936 Germany. 931,493 8/1955 Germany.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Primary Examiner.

DONALD W. PARKER, Examiner. 

1. IN A TEXTILE MACHINE SUCH AS A WRAP KNITTING MACHINE IN WHICH THERE IS A WRAP BEAM, A SOURCE OF DRIVING POWER, A PATTERN CONTROL, AND A DRIVING TRANSMISSION BETWEEN SAID DRIVING SOURCE AND THE WRAP BEAM: THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH RESIDES IN (A) INTERPOSING IN SAID TRANSMISSION, IN SERIES, A VARIABLE HYDRAULIC SPEED CHANGE UNIT AND A VARIABLE MECHANICAL SPEED CHANGE UNIT, AND (B) PROVIDING A MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PATTERN CONTROL FOR VARYING THE OUTPUT OF THE HYDRAULIC SPEED CHANGE UNIT, AND A MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE DIMIISHING DIAMETER OF THE WRAP BEAM FOR VARYING THE OUTPUT OF THE MECHANICAL SPEED CHANGE UNIT. 